This is a first-of-its-kind deal in Australia between Microsoft and a major news media company.
The agreement allows Microsoft Copilot to reference the text of Nine’s masthead content during AI searches to contextualise and ‘ground’ outputs. By referencing real-time reports from Nine’s publishing mastheads, the system ensures Copilot outputs are grounded in verified facts while including references for its users.
Copilot will display snippets, headlines and summaries and will direct audiences to Nine’s mastheads for the complete story, giving users a gateway to a trusted source.
The agreement covers content from across Nine’s Mastheads including The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.
The agreement comes as technology companies lobby the Australian government for exemptions from requirements to pay copyright fees for works used to train or power their AI systems. The push, however, has drawn strong opposition from Australian authors and artists, who argue that creators should be fairly compensated for the use of their work.
